-AAG

Since the launching of the annual South American 10K almost two weeks ago the Athletics Association of Guyana (AAG) has been moving ahead with plans for a successful staging of the event. At a press conference yesterday the AAG indicated that all aspects of the planning were almost in place for the staging of the October 26 event.

The event has been renamed the International Amateur Athletics Federation (IAAF)/South American Athletics Confederation 10KM Road Classic.

President of the AAG Claude Blackmore, Competitions Director, Shirley Hooper and Secretary of the AAG Pamela Phillips, represented the AAG at the press conference.

According to Blackmore, this year’s Road Race Classic was going to be one with a difference. He added that systems  have been put in place to organize the event on a higher level. This year there will be a call room for the athletes which will be positioned in the Police Sports Club annexe where the athletes will be able to uplift their numbers and water.

Additionally, the athletes will also have a better warm-up area. There will also be a physical display for the spectators before the commencement of the race at 4pm and a formal opening ceremony where the Minister of Sport, Dr. Frank Anthony is expected to input brief remarks.

Entries for overseas athletes close tomorrow and so far some 10 different countries have signed up to compete.

There will be eight participants from Trindad and Tobago, four from Suriname – two from Brazil, two from Haiti and one from Grenada.

Jamaica, St. Lucia, St. Vincent and the Grenadines, Antigua and Barbuda and Cuba are entering this year’s  road race while Colombia, Venezuela, Ecuador and Paraguay have promised that they would like to send at least one athlete to participate.

To ensure the smooth flow of the event, T&T’s Durly Lucas will arrive in Guyana on Thursday as a Technical Delegate.

He will be in charge of the race officials while Brazil’s Helio Gesta deMelo who arrives a day later,  is the Organizational Delegate.

This year’s main focus will be on the junior and masters categories. Blackmore said the AAG has sent out invitation letters to corporate Guyana and numerous embassies for them to participate under the theme ‘Promoting a healthy lifestyle.”

He said the AAG was also trying to get more youths involved in the sport.